benjamin



Feb. 6, 1923.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2 R B. BENJMMN. ELECTRIC 5w: Tcu. FILED AW, 18, 1919.

Patented Feb. 6, 1923.

UNITED STATES 1,444,055 PATENT OFFICE.

REUBEN B. BENJAMIN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO BENJAMIN ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLI- ELECTRIC SWITCH.

Application filed August 18, 1919. Serial No. 318,102.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, REUBEN B. BENJAMIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Electric Switches, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being bad to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification.

This invention relates to electric switches and more particularly to electric snap switches which are operable in both directions and adapted to control a plurality of circuits. 1

One of the objects of this invention resides in the production of an improved snap switch which is both simple inconstruction and certain in its operation and which at the same time is operable in both directions to control a plurality of circuits.

Another object of the invention resides in the production of a switch in which a common means is utilized for controlling the operation of the switch contacts and the switch tri ping mechanism.

X further object of the invention comprises the production of an improved switch trigping mechanism.

ther objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following description, the accompanying drawings, and the appended claims.

For the purpose of description, an embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a lan view of the switch;

Fig. 2 is a p an view of the switch with the cover removed;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the switch mechanism on a plane represented by the line 3-3 in Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 4 is a view, partly in section, of the switch taken on the plane represented by the line 44 in Figs. 2 and 3 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged illustration, partly in sect-ion, showing the switch operating mechamsm;

Fig. 6 is an illustration of a portion of the switch mechanism, the view being taken on the plane represented by the line 6-6 in Fig. 5, looking in the direction of the or rows; 7

Fig. 7 illustrates a bottom view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 5;

Figs. 8 and 9 are enlarged perspective views respectively of the catch plate and cam plate; and

Figs. 10, 11,12, and 13 are enlarged perspective views of details of the switch operating mechanism.

As illustrated in the drawings, the switch is enclosed in a housing 16,. preferabl made of metal, fitted with a cap 11, secure to the housing base 16 by means of screws such as 18. The housing base 16 is preferably fitted with threaded apertures such as 19 and 20 adapted to receive conduits carrying the circuit conductors which it is desired to connect to the switch mechanism.

Mounted within the enclosure 16 is an insplatin base 21 fitted with the central chamber or epression 22 in which the switch op erating mechanism is positioned. The insulatin base 21 also carries the stationary switc chamber 22 of the insulating base 21 is an annular ledge 27 on which is mounted a stop plate or ring 28 and an upwardly extending bracket 29, the sto ring 28 and the bracket 29 being held in place on the annular ledge 27 by means-of the screws 30 and 31. T e stop plate 28 is illustrated in .detail in Figs. 6 and 7 and consists of a flat annularrin the inner edge 32 of which is fitted wit three substantially V shaped notches such as 33 angularly displaced at 120 degrees. Extending outwardly from the annular ring and diametrically opposed to one another are the arms 34 and 35 which serve as means for mounting the stop plate or ring on the ledge 27, through the agency of screws 30 and 31.

contacts 23, 24, 25, and 26.' In the The screws 30 and 31 also secure the bracket 29 to the annular ledge, the feet 37 and 38 of the bracket being fitted with threaded apertures to receive the said screws, whereby said bracketis mounted on the annular ledge above the stop plate. The bracket 36 is fitted with a central aperture at 40 to receive the cylindrical spindle 41, the spindle 41 being rotatably mounted in the said aperture and in a bearing 42 positioned at the bottom of the chamber 22 1n the insulating base 21.

Loosely mounted on the spindle 41 is the catch plate 43 and the cam plate 44. Rigidly secured to the spindle 41 18 the notch plate 45, said platelleidgl sccurdd the spindle in any sill table x i 11y, preferably'liy' 131mm IL thereto by a pin such as 46. The notch plate isi il'lustrated inademii in" Fig. 10 and consister of an. annular downwardly extending sleeve 47 and a Hat plate 4-8 fitted with the notches 49, 50, and 5L The cam plate 44 illustrated in detail in Fig. 9, comprises a fled plate siirlnce 5'2-lin'x in .a central aperture at the plate 52 Bl: g'fitt'e'd' with the thili downwardly extend ng arms 54.;55; and 5d The' earn plate lis mbiinted ew the spindle abore the notch pliite 4i)? and is lntiintaincd in a separated t5 position from thesaid notch plate by a 57 thespiral sprin serving maintain separationbetween the notch plate and the cam plate 44;snchthat the 'iidtfbiifhfinhs" 54m 56 inclusive of the 2b -3li&'p1 cewin?ride indie" notches 49 to 51 and respectively of'the notched Loosely positionedon the spindle ll fafp'd' sli diably'inonnted on the top surface of the la ce 56 of the cam plate 44 is the catch 2'5 This catch plate is equipped with :iWl-nliral re'ctangular aperture (SOand with a Wforwardlyexttan'ditifi substantially V shaped projection filpthe contour. of c which is sul "assassinate-same as the shape of the 'sb'i1 3tch'$: i1t in the stop plate' 28; The catch T'liheiialsdfitte'd with three downwardly "62, 63, and 64 respectively. he"arm's* 62' and"63' serre respectively to Y 'i-ecive'tlfe opposite ends of the sprin 57, as "3'5 fcl'erly'iiilln'strated in Fig 5, when tie apis "assembled, the ends of the spring positioned on the enter faces of these al'ir'iis and also passing bythe outer faces of the arms 54' and respectively of the calf-1 10 plate The rectangular erforat-ion in the catch plate permits 51c catch plate to more freely and independently of the spindlc 4l in a direction longitudinal to the l'e' tliflof said plate; and obviously likewise 4'5 f'r'ee 'riio'vement of the spindle r; With'ont-alfectingthe said plate. Due to the interlocking relationship of the arms 54, 55. zih'dfiG o'f the cam plate with the notches 49 to 51 respectively in the notched plate 4 50 the plate will be rotated with the spin dl 41'- j in the rectangular opening (50 of thej catch plate 43 is a sleeve 65 shown in detail in Fig. 11. This. sleet-e is positoncd $5 aboiit' the spindle 41 above theciitch plate.

Thedefinwarfdly eitending protrnsion 66 of saidrs'l e'et'e fitting in the rectang'nlar per foration in the catch plate, whereby said sl'eeite will partake of any rotation adminis 'b t 'redzto t'he plate, but whereby nerertnefess the catch plate willbe' ada'pted for relative longitudinal movement with respect sler. Eitending' from the upper render the sleeves's are the protrusions 13? t5 fhe said protrusions extending through rectangular apertures su'cb as 68, fitted in the middle portion of the movable contact blades (59. The movable contact blades 69 are rigidly secured to" the sleeve 65 by means of a washer 70, shown in detail i'nFig; l2, fitted with a central rcctangula; aperture-'71 which fits over the protrusion 67 on the sleeve 65.

When the movable contacts 69 are fitted over the protrusions or-shoulders 67 on the sleeve 65 in the position illustrated in F igs. 3 and 5, the washer 70 is fitted in position over these prot rnsions 67, the protrusions thercafter being turned oi 'er to solidly retain all of this apparatus in its assembled posit-ibn as there shown.

Connected to the spindle 41 by means of a pin, such as 72 or in any other desired manner, is a sleeve 73 in which is'mol tledgor otherwise secured in any desired emes.

insulating turn button or lc'mb;74. 35

Referring now to'Figs'l li, 5, and 13, it will he observed that "themov ahlecbntacfis'are so coi'istructed that "the contact'ii'ig' 'port'idfls thereof attached to thecen'tra'l' part 69" have. one contactin portion 76 extendiii'g" a wardly from t e cehtral portion 69' and t is other, 77, extending downwardly from the central portion 69'. Because of the shape of the movable contacts, one of the movable contacts, in rotatin about the spindle 4:1, will sweep aroiin'd'in; one "hori'zbntal'fpl'ahe, and th'eother movable contact,;for example 77, will sweep around in a; horizontal little below thefirst horizontal plan in Wide the contacts 76am rotated. r

The stationary contacts 23 andfl2fi are positioned in the chamber 220i the 'insulatina base 21 in a horizontal 'pla'nebelow the horizontal plane in which the contacts 24 and 2:3 are ositioned. The horizontal plane in which t 1e contacts 23 and 26 are positioned is in substantially the same horizontal plane as the horizontal plane in which the contacting portion 7? of tl'ie lnovable contact sweeps and the stationary contacts 24 and 25 are positioned in a horizontal plane, which is substantially the same as the horizontal plane in which the contacting surfaces 76 of the movable contacts sweep, as clearlyin'dicated in Figs. 2 and 3. e

Referring now to Fig. 2, it will be ob served that the center line of the stationary contacts 23 and 24 are angula'ily' displaced at 60 degrees, and in the like manner the center lineof the stationary contacts 25 and 1 0 26 are angnlarly displaced from one another by an angle of: 60 degrees. The movable contacts 69 in their neutral position have the center line of the contacting ends 76 thereof angularly displaced from the center line of the stationary contacts 23 and 26, each by an angle of 60 degrees, the center lines of the stationary contacts 26 and 23 being displaced from one another by an angle of 120 degrees. The center line of the contacting portion 77 i so of the movable contacts 69 is displaced from the center line of the stationary contacts 24 and 25, each by an angle of 60 degrees, and the center line' of the stationary contacts 24 and 25 are displaced from one another by an angle of 120 degrees.

The V-shaped notches in the stop plate 28, as hereinbefore described, are angularly displaced by 120 degrees, and the stop plate is so positioned in the chamber '22 of the insulating base 21 that the V-shaped notches 33 will have their center line in alignment with the center lines respectively of the stationary contacts 24 and 25 and with the center line of the movable contacts 69, in the neutral position, at the contacting surface end 76 thereof. The position of these V shaped notches 33 is indicated in broken lines in Figl 2.

Theoperation of the snap switch may now be briefly described as follows.

' When the button or knob 74 is rotated it will carry with it the spindle 41 which in turn will rotate the notch plate 48, the notch plate, through the agency of the notches49 to 51 thereof and the cooperating arms 54 to 56 inclusive of the cam plate 44 will in turn rotate the cam plate 44. The rotation of 'the cam plate 44 in either one direction or the otherdepending upon the direction :of the rotation ofthe button or knob 74- will carry with it one end of the spiral spring 57-depending upon the direction of rotation, because either the arms 55 or 54 of the cam plate in its rotation-depending upon the direction of rotation, will sweep against either one or the other end of said spring. The rotation of the cam plate will hence put the spiral spring 57 under ten sion. In the rotation of the cam plate either of the cam surfaces 80 thereof-depending upon the direction of rotation-will ride against the downwardly projecting arm 64 of the catch plate, and since the catch plate is loosely mounted on the top face of the cam plate, the said plate will be gradually retracted by the cam surface 80. When the cam plate has been rotated so that the high point of the cam surface rides over the downwardly extending arm 64, the catch plate 43 will be retracted sufliciently to withdraw the V shaped protrusion 61 there of out of the V shaped notch 33 in the stop plate, and directly upon the withdrawal of the V shaped protrusion from the notch 33 the catch plate will be rotated with a snap movement due to the tensioning of the spring 57 until the protrusion 61 is snapped into the next V shaped notch 33 in the stop plate 28, 120 degrees removed from the notch 3.? from which it was withdrawn. The rotation of the catch plat-e will carry with it the sleeve 65 and the movable contacts 69, whereas the spring will continue to turn the spindle and the apparatus attached thereto Until all the apparatus secured to the spindle assumes its normal position, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 5 in front of the notch 33 to which the catch plate has been advanced.

From the foregoing description it will be evident that the single spiral spring 57 functions to control the movement of the cam and catch plates and also the lnovable contacts 69. The entire operation of the switch is controlled by the single spring which is placed in tension upon the turning of the operatingbutton or knob. With each turn of the operating. button or knob the movable contacts 69 will 'be rotated through an angle of 120 degrees, as 'hereinbefore described. In this rotation the contacting surfaces 76 and 77 of the movable contacts 69 will sweep into contact with some of the stationary con tacts and either over or under other of the stationary contacts. Thus, in rotating the switch from the neutral position illustrated in the drawings in a-clock-wise direction to the first notch, the contacting surface 76 of the movable contacts 69,'because of their elevated position, will sweep over the contacts 23, but will contact with the stationary contacts'24, which are positioned in the same horizontal plane as thecontacting surfaces 76 of the movable contacts 69, the other contacting surface 77 of the movable contact 69 being positioned in the lower horizontal plane will sweep under the stationary contact 25, which is positioned in the higher horizontal plane, but will contact with the stationary contact 26 positioned in the lower horizontal plane. When the switch has been moved to this position, it will'be observed that a circuit has been established from the stationary contact 24 through the movable contacts 69 to the stationary contact'26.

Now if the switch is again rotated in a clockwise direction, the movable contact 69 will be rotated through 120 degrees to the. next Vshaped notch in the stop plate. In this rotation the contacting surface 77 will sweep into connection with the contact 23, both of which are ositioned in the lower horizontal plane, and the contact surface 76 of the movable contact plate 69 will sweep into contact with the stationary contact 25, both of the two latter contacts being ositioned in the upper horizontal plane. pon

the next rotation of the movable contacts in a clock-wise direction, the movable contact plates 69 will move back into the neutral position in which they are illustrated in Fig. 2. in this movement to the neutral position. the contacting surface 76, being positioned in the upper horizontal plane, will sweep over the stationary contact plane 26 positioned in the lower horizontal plane and the conducting surface 77 being positioned in the lower horizontal plane will sweep under the stationary contact 24 which is positioned in the higher horizontal plane.

&

In a like manner, when the switch is rotuted in a counter clockwise direction the rotating contact blade 69 will always move through an arc of 120 degrees and in each such movement the contacting surfaces 76 and 77 will each actually make contact with but one stationary contact. The switch is consequently arranged for rotation in either direction into three positions; the neutral position-in which the circuits through the switch are open,and.two positions in which the rotating contact blades 69 operate to close a circuit between two stationary con tacts. In rotating through the three positions, the contacting surfaces of the rotating blade 69 each sweep past four contacts, but each actually makes contact with but two of said contacts for each complete revolution.

In the specific embodiment of the switch illustrated in the drawings, the contacts 23 and 24 are interconnected b a conducting plate 80. thereby making t e contacts 23 and 24 electrically common and consequently these two contacts are-equipped with butone contact terminal screw 81, which is adapted to receive the common wire :for the two circuits, the other leads of which are connected respectively by the terminal screws 82 and 83 to the contacts 25 and 26 respectively. Obviously the switch could readily be ar ranged by those skilled in the art for various difierent kinds of electrical switching opera tions in which the conducting bar 80 would be omitted and in which one lead of the two circuits controlled by the switch would not be common. Likewise, many other variations could be readily incorporated in the switch structure and the essential novel features and advantages of this invention still be maintained, in which a single spring is used to control and actually move the rotating contacts and in which the stationary and rotating contacts are disposed in an insulating :base for the control of a lurality of circuits by a switch which may be operated in either direction.

It will be obvious. therefore, that the in vention is not limited to the specific embodiment thereof illustrated and described, but is capable of many variations and other adaptations within the spirit and scope of the invention, as set forth in the following claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is new and desire to secure by Let ters Patent is:

1. In a device of the character described, in combination, an insulating base, stationary contacts mounted on said base, said con tacts being positioned in two different parallel planes, a rotatable spindle, rotatable contact plates loosely mounted on said spindie, the contacting surfacesat either end of the said plates being positioned one in the plane of one of the said stationary contacts, and the other in the plane of the other of said stationary contacts, a switch operating element rigidly secured to said rotatable spindle, and means comprising a single resil icnt member co-operating with said operatin element and said spindle operable to control and actuate the rotatable contacts into any one of a plurality of positions and into cooperation with the stationary contacts to control a plurality of circuits.

2. In a device of the character described. in combination, an insulating base, Stationary contacts mounted on said base, a rotatable spindle, rotatable contacts loosely mounted on said spindle, a stop plate mounted on said insulating base fitted with notches, a switch operating plate rigidly secured to said spindle fitted with suitable notches, a cam plate loosely mounted on said spindle carrying depending lugs which cooperate with the notches in the aforesaid switch op erating plate to actuate said cam plate when said spindle is turned, acatch plate fitted with a protrusion to cooperate with the notches in the stop plate, said catch plate be ing provided with depending lugs, and means comprising a spring cooperating with the depending lugs on said catch and cam plates, whereby said catch and cam plates will co-., operate with said stop plate to control the movement and actually move the rotatable contacts through a certain defined arcifor each operation of the switch.

3. In a device of the character described, in combination, an insulatin base carrying stationary contacts, a rotatabIe spindle, rotatable contacts loosely mounted on said s indle, catch and cam plates, each fitted wit a plurality of depending lugs, and a 5 ring cooperating with the depending lugs 0 said plates to control the operation of said rota-- table contacts for cooperation with said stationary contacts.

4. In a device of. the character described, in combination, an insulating. base, two pairs of contacts positioned thereon, the contacts of each pair being angularl displaced at 60 degrees, movable contact b ades adapted to cooperate with. said stationary contacts, and means for rotating and controlling the movement of said rotatable contacts, whereby they will move through an angular displacement of degrees in each movement, the rotatable and stationary contacts being so disposed in different planes that said rotatable contacts will connect with but two of said contacts in each movement thereof.

5. In a device of the character described, in combination, an insulating base, a rotatable contact blade haying contacting surfaces at each end thereof, stationary contacts mounted on said base angularly displaced from either side of the said contacting surfaces of the said blade by 60 degrees, and

means operable to rotate said contact blade through arcs of 120 degrees, the contacting surfaces of said blades and the stationary contacts being so positioned with respect to each other that the contacting surfaces at each end of the said blades will make contact with but one of said stationary contacts during each movement thereof.

6. In a device of the character described, in combination, an insulating base. a rotatable contact blade having contacting surfaces at each end thereof, stationary contacts mounted on said base angularly displaced from the said contacting surfaces by 60 de grees, the stationary contacts being disthrough arcs of 120 degrees, the contacting 20 said contacts in each movement thereof.

contacts being so positioned with respect to each other that the contacting surfaces at each end of the said blades will make contact with but one of said stationary contacts dur- 25 in? each successive movement thereof.

11 witness whereof, I have hereunto sub scribed my name.

REUBEN B. BENJAMIN. 

